Chocolate Cake Recipe
A chocolate sponge cake is a must-have recipe on hand for any cake decorator. This simple and easy recipe works as a treat for tea-time snacks and can be frosted for celebration cakes. Perfect for a sculpted cake, and even works for a stacked wedding cake.
This is a basic chocolate cake recipe below. You can use any buttercream frosting that works for your project. You can find over 30 buttercream recipes from me on my blog Veena Azmanov
It is also a very versatile cake. You can use it with frosting as well as fillings such as chocolate mousse, or other fruit fillings.
If you need a stable cake to stack at the bottom of a 4 tier wedding cake? This is it! I have used it to cover with fondant as well as modeling chocolate.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour – I like all-purpose flour for my chocolate cakes. I believe it adds stability to the cake with cocoa powder.
- Milk –
- Vanilla – I think vanilla extract is perfect to use for this cake but you can certainly use vanilla bean paste or substitute some of the sugar for vanilla sugar.
- Fat – a combination of butter and oil makes this cake stable as well as light and airy.
- Cocoa powder – dutch processed cocoa powder works best for this cake.
Frequently asked questions
Unfrosted this cake will keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. Well wrapped in the fridge it will keep for a week. It can also be frozen for up to a month. Once frosted, it will keep at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. In the fridge for a week and can be frozen for up to a month.
If you can’t use a cake immediately, I always recommend freezing rather than chilling. I find the freeze does a better job of locking in moisture as compared to the fridge.
Wrap the cake well in plastic wrap, then in parchment paper. If you plan to freeze it for longer, wrap it in aluminum foil again. The parchment will prevent freezer burns while the aluminum will keep the smell of other foods from getting into the cake.
Absolutely! the recipe card below will calculate this recipe from 6 to 16 inches for you. Just use the automatic calculator below
1 x makes 2 x 6-inch round cakes
2x makes 2 x 8-inch round cakes
3x makes 2 – 10 inch round cakes
4x makes 2 x 12 inch round cakes, etc
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Description
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) Butter unsalted, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
- 1½ cups (185 g) All-purpose flour
- ½ cup (40 g) Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) Milk
Buttercream
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted, room temperature
- 4 cups (480 g) Powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Milk
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 6 oz (170 g) Chocolate melted, cooled
Simple syrup
- ½ cup (100 g) Sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) Water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 325°F/ 165°C / Gas Mask 3
- Grease and line 2 x 6-inch round cake pans or 1 x 8-inch tube pan.
- Dry ingredients – sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.Pro tip – Sifting the dry ingredients will make a light and airy cake.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Next add the eggs, one at a time. Followed by the vanilla extract. Pro tip– adding eggs one at a time will prevent the eggs from curdling. If the batter does curdle just add a tablespoon of flour to help stabilize it.
- Next, add the flour and milk in three batches. Combine well but do not over mix. Pro tip – we do not want to activate the gluten in the flour so work gently once you add the flour.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Pro tip – using baking/ cake strips for your pans will prevent a dome and excess caramelization around the edges which looks better for layer cakes.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Pro tip – always cool cakes completely before decorating otherwise the frosting will melt on warm cakes.
Simple syrup
- To prepare the simple syrup, boil the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Once all the sugar is dissolved, boil a minute more – then cool completely.
Vanilla buttercream
- In the bow of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy.
- Then, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time. Once all the powdered sugar is in add the water or milk and vanilla extract.
- Continue to whip for 2 to 3 minutes until the buttercream is pale but light and fluffy.
- Save 1 1/2 cup buttercream for the filling and add the melted cooled chocolate to the remaining buttercream. Pro tip – Make sure the chocolate is cooled before you add it to the buttercream otherwise the chocolate will seize.
Assemble
- Using a bread knife or cake leveler, level each cake layer by cutting the domes off. Brush each layer with simple syrup. Pro tip – Watch a video – how to level, torte, and fill cake like a pro.
- Place the first layer on the cake board or cake stand. Add a dollop of vanilla buttercream and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Then, place the second layer on top. Chill the cake for 15 minutes. Pro tip – chilling the cake will help hold the two layers together and prevent them from moving while frosting the outside.
- Add the chocolate frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Smooth the buttercream as best you can. Pro tip – an offset spatula for the top and a straight-edged spatula for the sides of the cake does a better job of smoothing. You can also dip a bench scraper in warm water for final smoothing
- Transfer any remaining buttercream to a piping bag with a piping tip. Pipe a border on the top and bottom of the cake. Alternatively, this cake can be cover with fondant as well.
Recipe Notes
- Makes sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Otherwise, you can end up with a lumpy batter.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy which means the sugar must be almost dissolved.
- Always preheat the oven well in advance. An oven, not preheated oven means the butter will melt and the cake can be very greasy.
- Do not open the door during baking as it causes the cake to sink.
- Always cool cakes completely before decorating otherwise the frosting will melt.
- Use the simple syrup to keep cakes moist.
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
This is a beautiful recipe… it works well with pumpkin, but I also modified it to use over-ripe bananas and blueberries. Used 1/2 cup egg substitute in lieu of the egg, and 1% milk with a tablespoon of olive oil. And Trader Joe’s pure maple syrple. This is a wonderful use for Arthur’s white whole wheat. We made some extra cakes to reheat another day.
Thank you, Moses. So happy you enjoyed it
I have no idea what I’d make first, but I know I’d have a ton of fun figuring it out!
Enjoy, Alisha
I’m so amazing at what I saw on your blog, was searching for a nice site where I can get chocolate Chiffon Cake for my cousin’s birthday. Your chocolate Chiffon Cake looks attractive and adorable
Made this cake and it was absolutely delicious. Thank you for the detailed recipe.
Thank you for the lovely feedback, Ashley.